From early 17th until mid 19th century Japan closed its borders to the world. The arts flourished as an integral part of society, promoted by the Imperial Court, powerful land-owning dynasties and an increasingly wealthy merchant class. The work consolidated artistic values dating back to Japan's classical Heian period (794-1185). Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, and Japan's enforced opening to the rest of the world, the previous model of elite private patronage ended, and the arts sought to establish western respect for Japan, and currency, through production that would appeal to the western eye.

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